Strategic

Leadership
For the past 21 years…
Most people think of:
S.W.O.T.
Competitive Positioning
Customer Intimacy / CRM
Industry trends
Global trends
Regulatory / Political Issues
M.E.C.E.
KRA’s
Strategic Thrusts
Corporate Objectives
SMART Goals
MBO
 Five Foundations of
Effective Strategic Thinking
Business Acumen

Personal Experience

Pattern Recognition

Strategic Insight

Disciplined Execution
The Four – I’s
• Ignorance

• Inflexibility

• Indifference

• Inconsistency
 How to avoid the Four I’s
• Aggressive external market focus.
• Aggressive customer focus.
• Keep the “Main Things” the main things.
• Bullish on knowledge sharing and learning.
• Passion and commitment at all levels.
• Foster a healthy paranoia.
• Revel in change.
– be agile, adaptive, and anticipatory.
 Effective Business Strategy =
Valued Differentiation x Execution
 Breakthrough Strategies
• GE: 1- 2 or F.S.C.
• Intel: memory to processors
• Microsoft: installed base
• Apple: chaos to elegance
• Saturn: no haggling
 Southwest

One type of plane

Point-to-point
Fast turns
Low fares / no frills
Friendly staff
 BTO
JIT
Inventory turns
Logistics vs. Technology
VOC

Dell
 Southwest – Dell – Walmart
What is the pattern?

• Extreme Efficiency 1- 10
• Minimize Costs to as
close to zero as
possible – w/o
negative impact
• All focused on
delivering customer
value
The Evergreen Project

10 year study of 160 top companies

40 distinct industries

200 management practices

Winners, climbers, tumblers, losers

Winners had an average Total Return to Shareholders of 945%...

The Losers only averaged a TRS of 62%

From: What (really) Works by Joyce, Nohria, Roberson

 The Four Primary Practices:
1. A sharply focused, clearly communicated and
well-understood strategy for growth.
2. Flawless operational execution that
consistently delivers the value proposition.
3. A performance-oriented culture that does not
tolerate mediocrity.
4. A fast, flexible, flat organization that reduces
bureaucracy and simplifies work.

From: What (really) Works by Joyce, Nohria, Roberson

 The Secondary
Management Practices:
• Talent = find and keep the best people.
• Key leaders show commitment and
enthusiasm for the business.
• Embrace strategic innovation.
• Master the power of partnerships.

From: What (really) Works by Joyce, Nohria, Roberson

Strategy + Leadership
23,000,000

74%
88%
T + C x ECF = Success
 A little closer look…
Talent Culture
• Honest • Sense of Urgency
• Massively Competent • Disciplined Execution
• Creative • Innovative
• Risk-taker • Collaboration
• Team Player • Ownership Mentality
• Pro-active • Custcmer Focused
Top high-potential employees…

1. Credible
2. Respectful
3. Approachable
4. Highly Professional
5. Team Player
Credibility
Complete honesty and transparency

Impeccable integrity

Knows how to do their job well

A compelling vision for the future

Passion and excitement

 Respectful
Open to the ideas of others
Treats people with dignity
Treats people fairly
 Fun
Culture Counts
Family
Friends
Fair
Freedom
Pride
Praise
Meaning
 Approachable
Genuine
Appreciative
IQ + EQ
Great communicator
Highly Professional
Impressive Talent
100% Ethical
Highly Self-aware
Always Learning & Improving
Insightful and Innovative
Pro-active
Results Driven
Fully Accountable
 Ground Rules for a Professional Organization
• Staff agrees to be managed and coached to strictly
enforced standards of performance and quality work.
• Teamwork is mandatory, not optional.
• Excellence in customer satisfaction is an enforced
standard.
• Personal and professional growth is a nonnegotiable
minimum standard.
• All team members must show a sincere interest in the
customer and a sincere desire to help them.
• The primary focus must be on delivering quality work
and building strong customer relationships.
• Demand excellence and refuse to tolerate mediocrity.
 You cannot be a
great team leader…
if you are not first a
great team player!
What does it take to be a valued member of a team?
Develop and display competence.
Follow through on commitments.
Deliver required results.
Ensure your actions are consistent with your word.
Stand behind the team and its people.
Be enjoyable to work with.
Be passionate about your work and those you serve.
Communicate and keep everyone informed.
Help the other members of the team.
Help members of other teams.
Share ideas, information and credit.
Hold yourself 100% accountable.

Team Leaders are:

Rigorous… but not ruthless
5 C’s of Leadership
• Character

• Competence

• Collaboration

• Communication

• Compassion
 Why you need to be an expert at
collaboration and teamwork:
• You cannot succeed alone.
• You need a team of the brightest people you
can possibly find to help you.
• You need to help the team work extremely well
together.
• You need the team to support you with
enthusiasm, respect and trust.
• But don’t take my word for it…
 Anne Mulcahy 1. Build a network of great
CEO of Xerox and the third most relationships with people who want
powerful woman in the world! to see you succeed.

2. You don’t have all of the answers,

so ask for help and advice from the
smartest people you can find.

3. Learn to be a learner.

4. Listen intently to your employees

and to your customers.
People use the word “Team”
quite often…
 Team Model
• D
irection – vivid, clear, inspiring --- shared

• M easurements – specific, observable, focused

• C
ompetence – very good at what they do

• C
ommunication – open, honest, courageous

• M utual Accountability – all team members

• D
iscipline – do this every day
 11 Key Team Competencies:
1. Setting clear, specific and measurable goals.
2. Making assignments extremely clear and ensuring required
competence.
3. Using effective decision making processes within the team.
4. Establishing accountability for high performance across the
entire team.
5. Running effective team meetings.
6. Building strong levels of trust.
7. Establishing open, honest and frank communications.
8. Managing conflict effectively.
9. Creating mutual respect and collaboration.
10. Encouraging risk-taking and innovation.
11. Engaging in ongoing team building activities.
• Lack of TRUST
• Lack of candor
• Lack of commitment
• Lack of accountability
• Lack of results
 HIGH

Affection TRUST
Concern

Distrust Respect

LOW
LOW HIGH

Competence
 The mantra of excellent
team leaders:
I am good at what I do…
and I do it because I care about you!

(High IQ + High EQ)

 What do successful leaders do…
SET DIRECTION
(Vision – Goals - Future)

Demonstrate Personal Character

(habits, integrity, trust, honesty, credibility)

Mobilize Commitment Enhance Capability

(engage others, share power) (build teams, manage change)

Leadership Attribute Framework

 Study of most important leadership skills
7,000+ managers from 1,600 large organizations

• Must have superb communication skills.

• Lead by example to demonstrate character and
competence.
• Establish and maintain clear and meaningful vision.
• Provide motivation to create ownership and
accountability for results.
• Clarify performance expectations.
• Foster teamwork and collaboration.
• Develop clear performance goals and metrics.

From: Getting Results by Longenecker and Simoneti

 Honesty

Competence

Opportunity

Appreciation